Pu Zhu watched the party of riders thunder away ahead of her, and a feeling of unease surged in her heart.

Li Chengyu clearly harbored resentment toward Li Xuandu, yet persisted in fulfilling this superfluous so-called “hunting together” old promise — it was truly suspicious.

Yet under so many watching eyes, Li Xuandu could not refuse. Though he already had those two guards named Zhang Ting and Shen Qiao by his side, she still could not set her mind at ease.

She told Ye Xiao to go as well and accompany them.

Ye Xiao said: “This subordinate will first escort the Princess Consort back, then go to catch up with Prince Qin.”

His tone was very firm. Pu Zhu no longer argued, immediately mounted her small red horse, galloped all the way back to the detached palace, and ordered Ye Xiao to go at once.

Ye Xiao was just about to leave when suddenly, from behind, someone called softly, “Princess Consort.” Pu Zhu turned her head; it was Fei Wan, who recognized him.

He had been following Cui Xuan and making a living under him. Seeing him here now, Pu Zhu was not surprised. She walked directly over and asked what the matter was.

Fei Wan drew her behind the trees and said in a low voice: “General Cui sent this subordinate to deliver a message. Today’s hunting outing is a pretense on the Crown Prince’s part — his real intention is to harm Prince Qin. He has laid an ambush of fierce animals on the road, driven by beast tamers. After Prince Qin is lured in, he will first release a herd of savage beasts to attack, and then ambush men who, under the pretense of driving away the beasts, will shoot arrows — making sure to eliminate Prince Qin.”

Pu Zhu was greatly alarmed and immediately asked: “Did he say where the ambush is?”

Fei Wan shook his head: “General Cui doesn’t know either. Princess Consort, please think of something — this subordinate cannot stay long, I’ll go now!” Having said this, he glanced around at his surroundings, turned, and hurried away.

Pu Zhu’s heart was pounding wildly.

Her premonition had actually come true!

At the same time she understood why Li Chengyu had brought so many people with him today — Shen Yang, and a few other young noblemen.

Beyond not arousing Li Xuandu’s suspicion, it was no doubt also to obscure the truth from onlookers and create the appearance of an accident.

This reckless Li Chengyu!

In her previous life he had failed to protect her and in the end caused her death. In this life did he want to make her a widow so early?

Pu Zhu cursed him in her heart and quickly called Ye Xiao over, relaying to him the message she had just received.

Ye Xiao’s complexion changed drastically: “This subordinate will bring men to catch up immediately and tell His Highness that the Princess Consort has an urgent matter, asking that His Highness turn back!”

Pu Zhu shook her head: “That won’t work. The Crown Prince is impulsive — once he gets the wrong idea in his head, he acts without the least restraint. How many men can you bring? Can you call up an entire army? Even if you brought all your men, saying I have an urgent matter, I fear it still won’t be enough to stop the Crown Prince. If he acts, savage beasts plus a rain of hidden arrows — how can we guarantee His Highness comes to no harm?”

Ye Xiao’s expression was anxious: “Then what should we do?”

He paused: “I’ll go find Lord Han, the Prince Consort, and go together with him!”

“Wait!”

Pu Zhu stopped him, quickly ran through in her mind all those who had ridden out with Li Chengyu, and then she raised her eyes: “Go find the Prince of Yutian! Take him with you!”

Tomorrow they would be setting out back for the capital. After that, this period of studying abroad would also come to an end and he would make his way home.

Prince Yutian Yuchi Shengde was reluctantly lingering, and at this moment was in his own tent as his attendants packed away the commendations and rewards he had received from the Emperor on this journey. They were busily occupied, when suddenly word came that Princess Consort of Prince Qin had come to find him. He hurried out, and sure enough saw her there — overjoyed.

Pu Zhu invited him to a nearby open, deserted place, stood still, and without a word first made him a deep bow. This startled Yuchi quite considerably; he quickly stepped aside and said: “Why does the Princess Consort bow to me so? What is this about?”

Pu Zhu said: “I have an improper and difficult request to make of the Prince, and fear I am pressing him too hard — it is truly hard to bring myself to speak.”

Yuchi still remembered how she had galloped wildly and swung her mallet on the polo field that day, and secretly admired her. Hearing his teacher’s daughter speak like this, he immediately nodded: “Princess Consort, please feel free to speak. As long as it is something this Prince can accomplish, even if it means walking through fire and water with swords at my side, I will not so much as wrinkle my brow!”

Pu Zhu then said: “The Crown Prince has just invited Prince Qin to go hunting. Because of the arm injury he sustained from the hunting trip with Lord Han the Prince Consort, which has not yet healed, I fear he may not be able to draw a bow and arrow well. But the Crown Prince extended a sincere invitation publicly, and he could not very well decline — he had no choice but to go along. I worry that his poor archery will disappoint the Crown Prince, and even more I fear he might suffer another accident. Anxious as I was, I thought of how when I was small I once heard my father say that the Prince has been brave and martial since childhood — you could be called a warrior of warriors. Your horse riding and archery are far beyond ordinary men’s ability. When I thought it over and over, this is a favor only the Prince can do for me. So I am shamelessly coming to you now with this brazen request. I wonder, Prince, whether you might help look after Prince Qin — stay close by his side, so that the Crown Prince may also enjoy his outing to the fullest?”

Yuchi never in his wildest imagination expected that his teacher of those bygone days had praised him so highly before the beloved daughter he cherished. Seeing that when she had finished speaking, her beautiful eyes gazed at him earnestly, filled with hopeful anticipation, his blood surged even hotter and his chest swelled with the spirit of a hero. He opened his mouth and said: “I thought it was something! So it’s nothing more than a trivial matter like this! The Crown Prince always calls me along on his hunting trips — why didn’t he include me today of all days? Princess Consort, be at ease. I will immediately go catch up with them, and not leave Prince Qin’s side for a moment, helping him hunt!”

Pu Zhu was deeply grateful and made Yuchi another deep bow, asking him not to tell anyone it was she who had come to request his help, saying she was afraid that if the Crown Prince found out, he might view it as a disrespectful act toward him.

Yuchi agreed, ordered men to quickly bring his horse and bow, called up several attendants, and set off.

Pu Zhu had Ye Xiao lead him and immediately give chase. After this party galloped away on horseback, she stood in place, and perhaps because her nerves had been drawn too taut, her whole body began to tremble ever so slightly.

She knew Li Chengyu’s nature. Once he got the wrong idea in his head, with no one to restrain him, he acted without the slightest scruple and his methods were extreme.

A moment ago Ye Xiao had spoken of bringing Han Rongchang along. But if Li Chengyu was set on using this opportunity to eliminate Li Xuandu, even accidentally injuring Han Rongchang in the process was not some great matter.

Afterward, he would silence all the witnesses on the scene — who would be able to say clearly how many savage beasts had attacked? He could attribute everything to an accident and overzealous rescue, and what could anyone do?

But if the person present was an important figure from a foreign land, that would be an entirely different matter.

Yutian was an important kingdom in the western regions. It admired Central Plains culture, paid tribute year after year, refused the Dongdi’s attempts to draw it away, considered itself a vassal state, and was one of the crucial foreign kingdoms through which the Li imperial dynasty projected its influence westward.

Accidentally killing a few noble young men or even Prince Consort Han Rongchang was no great matter. But Prince Yuchi was different.

Even if Li Chengyu’s eyes were completely blinded by jealousy, one trusted he would not dare rashly injure the Prince of Yutian.

If something happened to him, it would be a major incident — and no matter how capable Li Chengyu was, there would be no way for him to come away unscathed. That was why Pu Zhu had made the decisive move of coming to find Yuchi for help.

This was not fair to Yuchi Shengde. But she had no acquaintance with the Bosi prince, and Huaiwei was absolutely not to be put in danger. Of the remaining people, who could be more important to her than Li Xuandu?

The situation was truly exceptional. Though it was unfair to this forthright Prince of Yutian, she could only do this.

May Heaven protect them — she could only hope Li Xuandu would escape the danger and return safely. If there was an opportunity in the future, she would find a way to repay Yuchi.

…

Crown Prince Li Chengyu appeared to be in excellent spirits today, riding at the head of the column. Behind him was Li Xuandu, then the young noblemen of the Shangguan family, the Yao family, and several others who had come along, while Shen Yang brought up the rear. Cui Xuan led the guards and rode with the group. Some twenty to thirty riders flew like the wind across the hills and streams, heading toward the wild forest in the depths of the open plain.

After galloping full-speed for dozens of li beyond the hunting ground encampment and arriving deep in the open plain, the Crown Prince finally led the group to a halt. He ordered attendants to fan out and search the surrounding area to drive out wild animals for the hunt. But today’s luck seemed not to be particularly good — after the attendants had made a circuit, they had flushed out nothing noteworthy, only a group of startled lynxes and wild hares. These were shot down in a scattered fashion by the assembled men. The several young noblemen then ordered their servants to go and collect the prey. At this point, a wild northern goose appeared in the sky, flying southward.

Li Chengyu looked toward Li Xuandu and said with a smile: “I recall that Imperial Uncle’s archery in his youth was superb — I remember it vividly to this day.” He pointed at the wild goose overhead. “Many years have passed — Imperial Uncle’s archery must have grown even more refined. I hope today I may see it again.”

All eyes turned to Li Xuandu.

He looked up at the wild goose, then said: “The Crown Prince flatters me. The little tricks I picked up in those earlier years are long since rusty. Moreover, during the recent hunting trip with Lord Han the Prince Consort, I encountered a brown bear — though I managed to escape with my life by luck, my arm injury has not yet healed. How could I still draw a bow? Even to try would only invite mockery. Today I was not really suited for hunting at all — but the Crown Prince’s kindness was such that it would have been rude to decline, so I came along merely to make up the numbers. I won’t make a fool of myself.”

The several young noblemen in the party exchanged meaningful glances with one another, their faces showing barely concealed scorn. One of them, a nobleman of the Zhang family who was the Yao Marquis’s nephew, said loudly: “The Crown Prince’s archery is supremely skilled — everyone knows it. I recall that at the Grand Empress Dowager’s birthday celebration, when a foreign warrior tried to shoot the treasure chest but missed again and again, it was only thanks to the Crown Prince’s stunning single arrow that the day was saved. If today we are fortunate enough to see the Crown Prince display his remarkable skills again, it would truly be a feast for our eyes!”

The rest of the group echoed in agreement.

The Crown Prince modestly declined at first and did not shoot. But in the end he could not withstand the group’s entreaties, and with a show of reluctant compliance, drew his bow and nocked an arrow, took aim at the wild goose growing smaller and smaller in the sky, released the arrow. The goose plummeted straight down from the air.

The crowd let out loud cheers. An attendant brought a hunting dog to retrieve the fallen goose; the arrowhead was embedded in the goose’s belly.

At a distance of twenty to thirty paces, shooting into the high open sky and striking with a single arrow — the Crown Prince’s archery was truly not poor.

The cheering around him grew even louder. The Crown Prince smiled and waved his hand in modest dismissal, then spoke to Li Xuandu again: “I greatly miss the pleasure of riding alone together with Imperial Uncle when we were young. Now that we are adults, wherever one goes a crowd of people follows, and there is none of the freedom of those former days. It is rare to have such an opportunity today. I too shall indulge for once, and ride side by side with Imperial Uncle to relive those old pleasures. Imperial Uncle, come with me.” Having said this, his gaze swept across the group of young noblemen behind him, and finally he pointed out the Crown Princess Consort’s cousin, the young nobleman Yao, and the young nobleman Zhang who had been the most fulsome in his flattery, ordering these two to also come along for the hunting party.

The Yao and Zhang noblemen had not the slightest inkling that they had been selected as those who might die alongside him. Thinking instead that they had caught the Crown Prince’s eye, they felt pleased and proud, and amid the admiring glances of their peers, urged their horses out of the column.

“Imperial Uncle, please!”

Li Chengyu made a gesture of invitation, then led the way, urging his horse ahead.

After the Crown Prince, Prince Qin, and the Yao and Zhang noblemen departed, the remaining people all stayed behind to wait.

Shen Yang’s gaze was somber and deep. Out of the corner of his eye he observed the young man of the Cui surname who over the past few days had suddenly risen to prominence and won the Crown Prince’s favor.

He sat leaning against a stone on the ground, head lowered, calmly and unhurriedly wiping the edge of his blade with his lapel, his expression focused, as though completely oblivious to everything around him, immersed entirely in a world that belonged only to himself. His profile was like a lone blade planted in the earth.

Shen Yang had a strong intuition that this suddenly risen young man from He Xi would absolutely not be the kind of fleeting flash — blazing brightly for an instant before quickly going dark again. He even had a vague feeling that this youth might one day become a potential adversary. However, at present, this young man was still an insignificant figure, not worthy of drawing more of his attention.

What he was more concerned about was what the Crown Prince intended to do with his current performance, and the man named Li Xuandu.

He withdrew his gaze, used the excuse that he had other business, said his farewells to those around him, and quietly and unobtrusively rode away on his horse. After riding some distance, he doubled back around and followed in pursuit of the Crown Prince’s party.

Li Chengyu rode side by side with his imperial uncle, talking and laughing together, occasionally stringing a bow to shoot at one or two small animals they chanced upon in their path. Gradually they went deeper into a dense forest, finally entering the mouth of a mountain gorge.

The Crown Prince feigned weariness, reined in his horse for a rest, said he needed to answer a call of nature, and told Li Xuandu and the Yao and Zhang noblemen to wait here for a moment — he would be back shortly.

The Crown Prince led two close personal attendants out of the gorge entrance. Completely unaware, the Yao and Zhang noblemen stood by their horses, chatting and laughing. Li Xuandu stood to one side, swept his gaze around in a circle, then turned and beckoned to his guards Zhang Ting and Shen Qiao. He spoke a few words to them in a very low voice, and their expressions immediately became grave.

Li Chengyu concealed himself at a high vantage point in the shadows, looking down through the dense forest at the figures stopped below.

His trusted subordinate came close and whispered in his ear, asking whether to release the wild animals.

He had only to nod, and in the next moment, a dozen or so savage tigers that had been starved for a full day would leap out from both the front and back directions of this mountain gorge, blocking off any escape route. With their sharp claws and fangs, they would tear the people trapped in the middle to shreds.

That he was actually going to use such methods to end the life of the young imperial uncle he had once worshipped and followed in his childhood — he felt a dull ache surge from the depths of his heart. But very quickly, this dull ache was smothered by another pain — sharper and far more intense.

Li Xuandu would not die; she would never be able to come back to his side. She had always belonged to him.

And Li Xuandu’s death was what fate had always decreed for him — there was no escaping it sooner or later.

He himself, as Crown Prince, had eliminated a potential threat for the empire and for the Emperor — there was not the slightest wrong in that, and it could not be questioned or condemned even in the slightest!

Li Chengyu’s gaze gradually grew cold and hard, and he made a gesture. His trusted subordinate immediately conveyed the order, and very quickly the order was passed down to the lowest level.

The iron cages holding the savage tigers were opened. The three most ferocious, the hungriest and most frantic among them, leaped from the gates with a bound and rushed toward their prey.

At that very moment, Li Chengyu’s gaze froze.

He saw that at the entrance he had just passed through, a person came charging in on horseback, caught sight of Li Xuandu’s figure at a glance, and called out in a loud and cheerful voice: “Your Highness! Prince Qin! I’m here!”

It was none other than Prince Yutian Yuchi Shengde!

In that instant, Li Chengyu had no time to think about how Yuchi could possibly have come charging in here.

“Stop! Pull them back quickly!” In something close to panic, he issued a new order. His voice had changed pitch with tension.

If Yuchi Shengde were to die in this place, what that would mean — as a Crown Prince of an empire, how could he not know?

“Stop—” he called again at the top of his voice, adding another command.

The beast tamers swiftly closed the cage doors, yet it was still too late. Those three tigers that had burst out first seemed to have caught the scent of fresh meat. Their eyes blazed a sickly green, saliva dripping from their sharp fangs. In a flash they had leaped out, one in front and two behind, appearing before the prey.

The complexions of the Yao and Zhang noblemen changed drastically.

Though they too were dressed in hunting attire, with bows on their backs and swords at their sides, and were fond of hunting, the largest game they had ever hunted alone was a stag. Even when encountering tigers or wild boars, they had attendants and guards surrounding them in front. They only needed to ride in at the final moment, when the beast was half-dead, and shoot one or two of the final arrows.

How could they ever have imagined that one day they would be face to face with three savage, ferocious spotted tigers at such close range?

The two of them finally thought of Li Xuandu at this moment, called out to Prince Qin in a panic, and fled in his direction seeking rescue.

Yuchi Shengde too had never in his life encountered such a scene before. He was simultaneously tense and excited. Feeling his horse, terrified, spinning in circles and refusing to be controlled, he simply abandoned the horse, drew his bow, and aimed at one of the tigers charging toward him. Unexpectedly, because he was too tense, his fingers stiffened, and what should have been the simplest possible motion of nocking the arrow slowed down. He finally took aim, gritted his teeth and released the arrow — the arrowhead embedded itself in the tiger’s shoulder. The beast let out a roar of fury and continued charging at him.

Yuchi was greatly alarmed. The thing was almost upon him, having closed to within just a few paces, and he became even more tense. At that moment, from behind, a hand suddenly reached out and seized his arm.

Yuchi looked back — it was Prince Qin.

“Come with me!”

Yuchi turned in a panic and followed, running to the middle of the gorge.

Li Xuandu ordered Yuchi, the Yao and Zhang noblemen, two guards, and Ye Xiao — who had just arrived — to stand in a triangular formation, firing arrows to temporarily hold the tigers back and prevent them from drawing close. He also ordered Zhang Ting to drill wood to make fire, to ignite the surrounding wild grass and block the tigers’ advance.

“When I came, I took note of the surrounding terrain. To the west is a marsh. Once we start the fire, retreat to the marsh, draw the beasts in, and we will be able to escape.”

“You must all listen to the arrangement — do not act alone!”

The group now had a backbone and was not as panicked as at first. Everyone followed orders, and even the Yao and Zhang noblemen summoned their courage and joined the formation to protect themselves. The guard Zhang Ting was proficient in wilderness survival skills for extreme situations, and very quickly found suitable dry wooden boards, shaved off wood shavings, and used an arrowhead as a drill shaft, rapidly drilling to make fire.

As long as the three tigers attempted to charge, they would be met with a volley of arrows, forcing them back temporarily and preventing them from getting close. The tigers accumulated wounds, arrows embedded in their bodies, and they circled around the people in the middle, pacing back and forth unceasingly.

The arrows each of them carried were gradually running out. Just when the situation became critical, Zhang Ting successfully produced a spark and quickly ignited the surrounding wild grass.

Wild animals feared fire. The tigers grew increasingly agitated and frenzied, their roars rising and falling one after another.

Li Xuandu had people strip off their outer garments, light them as torches to carry, keeping the fierce beasts from daring to close in. Following the plan, they retreated out of the gorge.

Li Chengyu, hiding in the shadows, watched every detail with perfect clarity.

He did not know what Li Xuandu’s next step in the plan was, but he understood very clearly that he himself must appear and save the situation.

He ordered his trusted subordinates to take men and ride with him into the gorge entrance, putting on the appearance of having just returned at that moment.

Yuchi Shengde saw the Crown Prince appear with his mounted men, and was greatly relieved, calling out: “Crown Prince, be careful! Watch out for the beasts attacking!”

Li Chengyu said: “I just ran into servants who came to get me and was delayed for a moment — and wild beasts have already come here! Stay calm, I will come rescue you all!”

He had a dozen or more people here, and when they received the order, they surrounded the tigers and loosed a volley of arrows at them.

Firelight blazed high and thick smoke billowed. The tigers were wounded and fled in panicked confusion. The heart-pounding standoff between men and tigers finally came to an end.

Ye Xiao and his men quickly worked to beat out the fire, but with the blaze already started, it was not easy to extinguish in a short time. Li Chengyu sat tall on his horse, riding through the thick smoke toward Li Xuandu and Yuchi. His face wore an expression of concern; he was just about to ask Yuchi how he had come to be in this place, when an unexpected accident occurred that no one could have anticipated.

A dead tree beside the road caught fire, its branches scattering burning sparks. A cluster of sparks happened to land directly in the eyes of Li Chengyu’s horse. The mount, its eyes injured and stinging, and already terrified by the nearby blaze, went completely mad on the spot, flinging Li Chengyu from his back and bolting forward in a wild gallop.

That alone would have been bearable, but what was even more unfortunate was that when Li Chengyu landed, one of his feet became tangled in the reins’ loop and he could not free himself. He hung upside down, dragged along the ground by the horse as it ran. He tried to draw the sword at his waist to save himself, but the blade slipped from the scabbard; he grabbed for it and caught nothing but air.

Everyone was stunned by this sudden turn of events. The guards reacted and rushed after the horse, trying to rescue the Crown Prince, but by then it was impossible to catch up. They could only watch helplessly as it dragged the person forward and charged ahead in a mad gallop. The Crown Prince’s figure was like a leaf being blown about.

The guards were greatly alarmed and gritted their teeth to continue their desperate pursuit, but the Crown Prince’s mount was a magnificent steed, its natural speed already extraordinarily fast, and now in a state of frenzy it quickly left everyone behind, going further and further away.

The Crown Prince was dragged along the ground; his figure was like a fallen leaf in the wind. At first they could still hear his cries for help; very quickly the sound grew faint and then disappeared entirely.

The guards, their hearts in their throats, clenched their jaws and continued to chase with all their might.

Li Xuandu spurred his horse and charged from behind. Seated on the horse’s back, he took his bow, drew out a single arrow, nocked it on the bowstring, slowly drew the bow. When the bow was drawn full, he aimed at the target ahead. The thumb pressing tightly on the bowstring relaxed, the arrow left the string, and it shot forward through the air, slicing the wind.

This arrow severed the reins tangled around the Crown Prince’s foot. The man and horse were thus separated. The horse cast off its master and vanished in the blink of an eye.

The guards came charging wildly up.

Li Chengyu’s face and hands and feet were covered in scrapes and cuts and blood. His garments were torn, the golden crown on his head was gone, his hair disheveled, and his appearance was wretched beyond description.

After a long moment, he slowly opened his eyes, his gaze unfocused and scattered.

“Crown Prince, are you all right? That was truly too dangerous just now! If it hadn’t been for Prince Qin’s single arrow severing the rope and saving you, Your Highness would have been done for!”

Yuchi also came running up, panting heavily, and said the same.

Li Chengyu met two gazes fixed upon him — coming from his imperial uncle, Li Xuandu.

His lips trembled faintly, as though he wanted to say something, and in the end he closed his mouth again.

Li Xuandu said: “One of priceless value should not sit in danger’s way — all the more so for one who stands above all but one person in this world. Your Highness, please take care of yourself, for it is the fortune of the ancestral temples and the blessings of the state. Xuandu is nothing but a humble body of little worth. Your Highness’s action today — forgive me for speaking plainly — was not wise.”

His tone was calm. Having said his piece, he straightened up and looked around at the surroundings.

Dusk was deepening. He ordered attendants to carefully carry the Crown Prince up and immediately escort him back for treatment.

…

Pu Zhu was suffering through each moment of waiting, unable to sit still.

She had later also gone to find Han Rongchang and asked him to take people over. She had not, of course, said explicitly that the Crown Prince intended to harm Li Xuandu — only said she was worried about Li Xuandu and asked him to go and escort him back.

Half a day had passed and she still did not know the situation over there. Several times she thought about personally going there herself, but worried that with no fighting ability, she might add to Li Xuandu’s troubles, and had to put the thought aside and wait for news.

The sky gradually darkened.

Huaiwei had woken this morning to discover the hunting falcon Li Xuandu had sent him and was overjoyed, practicing training and keeping the falcon, spending the whole day without going out, entertaining himself happily. Li Hui’er, leading the maidservants, had finished packing up the luggage and came over to ask whether her aunt here had finished packing as well. Seeing Pu Zhu’s complexion was poor, looking as though she had fallen ill, yet when asked she said nothing was wrong, Li Hui’er was somewhat worried and stayed by her side and would not leave.

Pu Zhu stared at the increasingly darkening night sky outside, unable to endure it any longer, and was just about to go out when suddenly the Nanny Wang she had sent to gather news hurried in and reported a piece of news that had just arrived: today the Crown Prince had gone hunting with the group, and had unexpectedly encountered an attack by several savage tigers. The others were unharmed, but the Crown Prince had encountered an accident. Fortunately he was saved by Prince Qin. At this moment Prince Qin had returned and was before the Emperor making his apologies.

This news had already spread through the entire detached palace and everyone knew it.

The heart she had held suspended for half a day fell back into place.

Li Xuandu had returned safely.

He had not been injured, had not lost his life, and that was enough. As for making apologies — that was of course unavoidable.

Being the Emperor’s uncle, accompanying the Crown Prince on a hunting outing and failing to fulfil the duty of protecting the Crown Prince — naturally there was a transgression to be answered for.

But Pu Zhu was not worried about this. He should be able to return fairly soon.

She let out a long breath, and her face broke into a smile. She personally saw Li Hui’er back, reminded her to rest early, as tomorrow they would set off back to the capital. She then went to check on Huaiwei, returned to her own quarters, and finally felt her whole body go weak — as though she had just fought a great battle and was utterly drained. She bathed hurriedly and lay down, closing her eyes and thinking her own thoughts.

Li Xuandu appeared before the Emperor to make his apologies. The Emperor naturally did not blame him, and commended him for saving the Crown Prince.

After he withdrew, he did not return to his own tent but went directly to the West Garden.

Night breezes blew in waves as he walked along the lamplit palace paths and corridors, through the whitewashed walls separating court after court of palace gardens, thinking of what he had heard from Ye Xiao on his return, his steps gradually quickening. In the end, there was even something resembling an almost unbearable impatience in his heart, resenting the winding palace roads and deep curving corridors for blocking his way to see her.

It was approximately the middle of the third double-hour of the night when Pu Zhu heard voices coming from outside the door.

Li Xuandu was back! He seemed to be asking the maidservants in a low voice what she was doing; the maidservants replied that the Princess Consort had already retired for the night.

The door was gently pushed open, and that person walked in, stopping at the bedside.

Pu Zhu made as though she had just been roused from sleep, opened her eyes, saw him, and her face broke into a smile. She quickly scrambled up and made as though to get off the bed to greet him.

He immediately stepped quickly forward, reached out and gently gripped her shoulders, stopping her from rising.

Pu Zhu settled back on the bed and said: “Your Highness, you’re back? I was so worried about you! Just a little while ago I heard the news that you’d returned safely — only then could I set my mind at ease…”

He gazed at her, his eyes unblinking.

Pu Zhu pretended not to understand, raised her hand and touched her own face: “Your Highness, what’s the matter? Is there something dirty on my face? Quick, help me fetch a mirror — let me take a look…”

Li Xuandu finally spoke. His lips pressed close to her ear and said in a low voice: “Even if Zhuzhu’s face had something dirty on it, she would still be extremely beautiful…”

Pu Zhu went still.

In truth it was nothing more than an ordinary remark — he called her by her pet name and praised her beauty. Yet for some reason, hearing these words come from his mouth in that manner, they carried in her ears a vague but dense sense of tenderness.

Her heart trembled lightly, her face turned red and hot, and she found she did not quite dare meet his gaze. She simply raised both hands to cover her face and acted coy: “Your Highness is making fun of me…”

Li Xuandu could no longer restrain himself. He removed the hands covering her face, lowered his head, and did the one thing he had wanted to do since he first set eyes on her — he kissed her red lips.